Firing a defense attorney the morning of a scheduled civil trial does not entitle the defendant to a continuance, a state appeals panel has ruled. In a 23-page opinion, the 1st District Appellate Court rejected the defendant’s claims that a trial judge abused her discretion by allowing the attorney to withdraw but then denying a subsequent motion for a continuance. The underlying dispute arose from a construction project to build the Lakeview Athletic Club at 2312 N. Broadway Ave. The property was owned by …